At some point in your professional career, there’s a good chance you’ll be giving a presentation. For some professionals, this is a common occurrence; for others, it’s something that happens relatively infrequently. But whether you’ve given five presentations — or 500 — there are certain skills you need to have. Here are a few tips to make your next presentation the best yet.
Be Prepared
The most important presentation skill is being prepared. But that can mean different things to different presenters. For some, being prepared means checking out the presentation space beforehand, knowing where you’re going, understanding how the digital systems work, and ensuring any props are in the room. For others, being prepared means having an in-depth knowledge of the material they’ll be presenting. Still others feel that being prepared means they’ve rehearsed their presentation multiple times before getting in front of a group. Regardless of how you define it, being prepared allows you to feel comfortable with your material and the environment where you are presenting.
Plan the Format
Not only is it important to present on a topic people want to learn more about, it’s also important to think about how you present the information. Take time before your presentation to plot the format. Presentations that have a strong storyline or beginning, middle, and end tend to keep audiences engaged. Presentations that ramble or have no clear direction or objective may lose your audience. Think about the information you want to share. Are there specific stories you want to tell? What do you want people to walk away knowing? Would this presentation interest you if you were in the audience? These questions can help you better frame your presentation so that it’s more engaging.
Project Confidence
For people who aren’t comfortable with public speaking, presenting can be a nightmare. Don’t let that be you. Even if you don’t necessarily feel it, your participants will respond better when you appear confident. A great way to build confidence is completing a few practice runs of your talk. To project confidence avoid moving too much, stand tall, make eye contact with your audience, and speak to them in a steady voice. You may be nervous, but keeping presentation participants from seeing that will go a long way toward making them feel comfortable — and making your presentation more successful.
Prep Audience Questions
While you can’t be inside everyone’s head, it is a good idea to think about potential questions participants might have. Ask yourself what other information a participant might be interested in knowing, and think about how you would respond to that question. Not only will this help you give better answers, you will become more comfortable with your material, which can in turn make you feel more confident. On the flip side, if you get a question you don’t know the answer to, it’s OK to say that. It’s not a weakness to say you don’t recall a specific statistic or would like to look something up and get back to the person. You’re not expected to know everything!
Even the most seasoned presenters use these skills to make sure that every presentation is effective and interesting. There’s no one right way to give a presentation — you need to present in a way that works for you. Take time to figure out what that is, and once you know the style that suits you best, work on refining your presentation skills. That way, you’ll be giving presentations that engage everyone — including you.
On TopicRobert Cabitto, Karuk, is a senior manager at Accenture. His distinguished career spans more than 20 years across multiple technology platforms, including infrastructure, wireless, security, cloud/platform, and SAP/S4Hana. Cabitto has held many leadership roles in areas such as client engagement, contract management, mobilizing teams to deliver project/program management, PMO, and special expertise in building service desks for global teams and projects. Cabitto is a dynamic public speaker who has captivated audiences around the world with his inspirational story of perseverance and resilience.
Why are presentation skills critical for today’s professional?
Presentation skills are incredibly important in the current business landscape. A few years ago, there weren’t many businesses using Microsoft Teams and Skype. Now almost every organization uses some type of collaboration tool. That means users must be more educated on the tools and be ready to present their ideas in real time. Just about anyone on a project could be called to present their research, findings, or task or status on a project. That information isn’t always rolled up to leadership to present. The presenters I admire organize their ideas and thoughts and write them down so when called to present, the information is delivered clearly and concisely.
Presentations come in all sizes — simple team meetings, client meetings, large conferences. What are the top five skills needed to effectively present to any audience?
Believe it or not, number one is the space you’re working in. Make sure it’s quiet, that there is minimal echo, and background noise is at a minimum. Number two, your headset and internet connection must be working. These two key technologies are as important as the information you are presenting. Three, have a clear understanding of the information you’re presenting. Depth of knowledge is key to engaging a client in discussion. Four, know when to pause in a discussion. It’s not about just presenting your ideas, it’s also about your ideas becoming a topic for engagement. The way a presenter does that is key. Share, pause, ask if there are any questions, and engage the team or client before proceeding. Five, you are representing the firm, the client, and your team, so dress for the occasion, make eye contact, and be confident. This dress standard also applies when you’re working from home.
How do you keep your presentation skills sharp?
I find that the best presenters are people who practice. I always ask if there is a portion of a discussion, team meeting, or client-facing meeting that I can present. I practice reading out loud. I also have an area in my home office where I record myself presenting. I do this once or twice a month. Take any portion of a presentation and present it to yourself with your video camera rolling. Watch your body language, facial movements, and eye contact.
What are the key elements of effective presentations?
Eye contact, body language, cadence, and volume of your voice are the key elements. Know when and how to emphasize your main point or message. It’s helpful to review recordings of your own practice runs, but you can also get inspired by watching videos of effective speakers. For example, I watch presentations by some of my favorite presenters, such as Simon Sinek and various TED Talks. While watching other people present, I take note of body language, movement, and use of key words.
How can a presenter “read” an audience — and adjust accordingly?
Over the years I have become very good at reading people’s body language — mostly because of the mistakes I’ve made. For example, if people cross their arms at a certain point in a presentation, it often indicates that they either don’t agree with the information being presented or I’m losing them. In either case, that’s a trigger to make my presentation more interactive. I would tell a story with a real-world example or call on a colleague or a client to share their experience. Engaging others makes the presentation more interesting.
When should a Q&A be part of a presentation? What if there are no questions?
I believe every presentation should have an opportunity for questions and answers. I ‘ve found that clients and team members respond much better when they are part of the discussion. I don’t necessarily plant questions, but I do let a colleague know that I may call on them based on the temperature of the room and client interaction before the meeting.
How can a presenter regain control if a Q&A becomes negative or unproductive?
Every meeting is an opportunity to learn and/or hit the restart button. I’ve been part of so many meetings that turned on a dime and became challenging. One of the things I do when a meeting begins to become negative is call on the person who’s struggling and say, “Sir or Ma’am, I want to make sure I am hearing and understanding you correctly.” I then ask for their input. This way, I can diffuse the negativity while staying the course.
